Chickpea to Cook

It’s been called the best pizza joint in New York, but will it win the hearts of Angelinos too?

Joe’s Pizza is now open for business in the one building with a brick facade in Santa Monica–on 2nd and Broadway (how fitting). You can find Joe himself working the oven–you’ll know him when you see him–he is unmistakenly New York Italian.

The menu is short, and sweet and to the point. You won’t find BBQ chicken pizza with honey wheat crust, or even spaghetti or calzones for that matter.

Just unadulterated pizza pleasure.

I paid a visit to Joe’s the first weekend he was open here in my ‘hood of Santa Monica. If Joe serves the best pizza in New York, then that means it’s the best pizza in the world.

It even has Kevin Bacon’s recommendation.

When Maxim asked Kevin Bacon what his last meal would be, he replied, “A slice of pizza from Joe’s on Carmine Street in New York City.”

We waited 15 minutes for a fresh pizza to come out of the oven. Joe drizzled olive oil on our slices before handing them over. The crust was a golden brown, crispy but soft.

“Here ya go, sweetheart,” he said.

For a truly authentic New York experience, do not miss the White Pie (four cheeses and no tomato sauce). When you bite into that melted dollop of ricotta, you’ll know why Joe’s has received the Big Apple accolades it has since its inception in 1975. Wash it all down with a glass bottle of Coke.

Chickpea says: Scrumptious

They suck. I try a new one every time I go grocery shopping and no matter whether I buy Chef Boyardee or something a little more upscale like Dave’s Gourmet, I’m just never satisfied.

Can somebody please tell me when Spaghetti-Oh’s sauce started to taste bad? I used to love the stuff as a kid.

Anyway, I had high hopes for Dave’s Gourmet Red Heirloom Tomato Pasta Sauce. I bought it at Whole Foods for around $6.  It was fine, don’t get me wrong, but nothing to write home about (although here I find myself blogging about it….odd.)

It was much more runny than normal tomato sauce and I hoped that meant that it was going to be naturally flavorful without all the preservatives. Sadly, it lacked the garden freshness I was looking for. No zip, no nothing.

I will say it was much better than the next jar I bought, which was Delallo Sundried Tomato Pasta Sauce–imported from Italy and made form San Marzano tomatoes nonetheless.

I have half a jar left in my fridge and I am tempted to just throw it away. It tastes like chunky tomato paste. I could have saved myself the $6 or however much it cost and just bought a tin can of Hunt’s.

Could it be that I am being too picky? Will I be relegated to making my own tomato sauce from scratch or eating my pasta with olive oil and parmesan cheese forever?

If anyone has an exceptional canned tomato sauce, please send me your suggestions.

Until then, my quest for the best tomato sauce continues….